Lost Things and Lost People
by llamasdontbite
Summary: Just when life seems perfect, Tink manages to ruin everything...again. While searching for a solution, she runs across an evil nasty man (aargh, he be a pirate!) who forces her into a dangerous deal. Can she sacrifice the one she loves to save Pixie Hollow?
1. Why fairies should all get life jackets

It was a crisp, cool day in the autumn forest- just the way the fall fairies liked it. Fall preparations were in full swing here, with only a few weeks left of summer at the mainland. Animal-talent fairies flew to and fro helping squirrels store up extra food. Others painted the brilliant colors on the leaves of a huge oak tree. Some water fairies tended to tadpoles in a huge, deep pond right in the center of the forest. The water was getting cold and the little guys needed to hurry up and change into frogs before it got too chilly.

Not all fairies in the wood were hard at work, however.

"Tinkerbell, slow down! We can't keep up!"

Tink wasn't listening. Her wings beat the air at a frantic pace while she dodged in between the reeds at the water's edge. _Faster…faster…almost there…_ She stretched out her arm, narrowed her eyes, and with one final effort hurled herself at her target.

"Missed!" Iridessa squealed and forged on. "Can't catch me!"

Huffing and puffing Tinkerbell stayed on her tail. Wow, for a being a light-talent, that fairy was fast!_ But not fast enough. _Tink was the queen of tag.

_All right, girl, you can do this._ Iridessa told herself. _Almost there. Don't screw up… whatever you do, you can't mess this up. _She spotted what she was looking for up ahead. There he stood, right by the water's edge. This was going to be good.

Iridessa slowed just slightly, and Tink sped up. "You're going down, miss sunshine!" she cried triumphantly. Without warning the light fairy dodged quickly to the left, and Tinkerbell was flying so fast she couldn't make the turn.

She flew full-throttle into an unsuspecting sparrow man. They toppled head over heels, and then there was a splash as they were sent sprawling right into the deepest part of the tadpole pond.

Now, this was a pretty normal accident for our blonde tinker fairy. She never looked where she was going. Normally, she would be able to get up, make sure the unlucky victim was all right, and the two would fly their separate ways after she'd apologized thoroughly. Not today. The tadpole pond was off limits to non-water fairies for a reason.

The water was cold. Really cold. Tink thrashed wildly as the freezing stillness surrounded her. The shock made her lungs spasm, and she started swallowing water. The underwater world was dark, and there was no way to find the surface. The silence began to close in around her.

A hand gripped her arm and hauled her upwards. When her head broke the surface she gasped for air and clung desperately to her rescuer. A few strong strokes had them at the edge of the pond and hauling themselves up on the bank.

The breeze that had felt so invigorating when she was dry now chilled her to the bone. Frigid water still lapped at her toes, but she didn't care. This was solid ground, and she could still breathe. Here she was safe.

With a shock she became aware of the warm body next to her. His arm still clung protectively about her waist. His drooping wings shook as he coughed and sputtered. His face was turned away from her, and she squirmed to see it through the limp and disheveled mess of blond hair. He noticed her moving and managed to stop coughing long enough to raise himself up on an elbow to look at her.

The cold water was bad, but nothing could shock her worse than the face she found a few inches away from her own. Electric blue eyes, _check_. Turned up nose, _check_. Impish grin, _double check_.

"Hey, Tink," he said, and flashed that smile that always made Tinkerbell melt inside. He did not remove the strong arm still fastened securely around her waist. This sent little tingles coursing through her body.

Tink mentally slapped herself. _He's talking to you, fool! Say something. _

"T-Terence, I'm so sorry," was about the best she could manage. _Doh!_ _Out of all the intelligent, adorable things I could have said, that's what I pick?_ It must have worked though, because Terence just kept grinning and shook his head.

"Don't worry about it. I needed a little adventure for today anyways," he replied cheerfully, then he lowered his voice. "I'm just glad you're safe."

She shivered a little in spite of herself. Whether it was because of the cold or something else, the world may never know. Terence held her a little closer to shield her from the wind. She could feel his warm breath on her face now. Her heart kicked into hyperdrive. Terence had never been anything more than her best friend, and she'd certainly never been this close to him before. But somehow, it felt right, her body pressed against his. She almost never wanted to leave the shelter of his arms. She wished this moment would never pass.

"Wow, Tink. Even sopping wet you're beautiful," he placed his hand gently on her cheek and caressed it with his thumb.

Tink blushed and looked up at his face. Then she giggled internally. He was the one to talk. Nobody could look anywhere near as perfect as Terence did with soggy clothes, dirt and gravel adhered to his face, and a few wet leaves sticking out of his hair. Gorgeous, absolutely gorgeous.

She stared into his eyes, and softly gasped. In his eyes was the Look. Tinkerbell had been well educated by her friends about the Look, and before this day was always dreaming about seeing in on the cute blonde dust-keeper. But now it unsettled her a bit, suddenly seeing it for herself. Not that she didn't want it. She definitely was thrilled to see it there. Welling up all her courage, she held his gaze, just as Rosetta had instructed. Their faces inched closer and closer…

"Tinkerbell, Terence! Oh, thank goodness," Iridessa landed lightly next to them.

"We thought we lost you, sweetie," Rosetta chided as the rest of the gang flew in. "Are you all right?"

_Drat._ "Hey, guys. I'm fine, thanks to Terence." Tink smiled and looked over at him. He sat up hastily and retracted his arm, turning slightly red.

"What happened?" Silvermist asked, obviously directed to Terence.

"I- uh…"

Tinkerbell piped up, "I about ran him over and we fell into the pond, where we discovered I can't swim very well. He fished me out before I drowned in tadpole infested waters."

The fairies seemed to take that for a decent answer and helped them both up. Rosetta found a leaf to keep Tink warm.

Tink wondered what was going on in Terence's mind. As for hers, well, they didn't call it your noodle for nothing. Her brain was floundering around like a limp blob of spaghetti. In the span of about five minutes, she'd played a rousing game of tag, had a nasty collision, just about drowned, and almost kissed her "best friend." What a day.

Poor Terence. He was visibly distraught at the sudden intrusion. His face was red and he wrung his hands as he searched for an excuse to leave.

"I've uh, gotta get back to the pixie dust tree. You know, to pass out dust… Fairy Gary's gonna kill me if I'm late. Bye, Tink. See ya later, ladies!" With that he dashed off on foot into the tall grass.

"Nice going, Romeo," Rosetta called after him as he went. She giggled, turning her attention to the bedraggled Tinkerbell. "You guys were so cute. We need to make that a regular thing."

"What are you talking about?"

"You and Terence!" Iridessa beamed. "Everybody knows you guys have chemistry."

Fawn couldn't hold it in any longer. "Did he kiss you?" she asked point-blank.

"Fawn!" Silvermist groaned. "Give her some space."

Tink let out a strained laugh. "Guys, he's my best friend. I could never think of him as anything more than that. Of course he wouldn't kiss me!" _not quite,_ she added silently.

"That's okay, there's always next time," Iridessa smiled mischeviously.

"Dessa!" Silvermist, Rosetta, and Fawn all cried at once.

"Next time? Oh, no. I'm outta here. There's some work I have to get done back in Tinker's Nook. See you guys later!" Tink trudged off through the mud in the opposite direction Terence had gone.

"Tink and Terence, sittin' in a tree…" Iridessa began, giggling.

"Not yet, they aren't," Rosetta interrupted flatly.

"We were so close," Silvermist whined. "So close!"

"We've just got to be a little more aggressive, that's all," Fawn declared. "Everybody knows they like each other, so now all they need is an extra little push to get them outside their comfort zones."

"An extra push? Does almost drowning not count as outside her comfort zone?" Silvermist challenged. "They weren't supposed to fall into the pond! This is getting too dangerous."

"Oh, but it was pretty romantic if I do say so myself," Rosetta sighed. "My finest piece of work yet."

"Sil's right. If we take this much farther someone might get hurt, and I'd hate for it to be Tink," Iridessa pointed out.

"What if we just talk to them? Maybe we could get Terence to ask her out or something," Silvermist suggested.

"Good one, Sil!" Fawn considered a moment. "You know, there is supposed to be that meteor shower next week. I'll bet we can get them to at least watch it together."

Rosetta grinned broadly and patted her friend's shoulder. "Sugar, that is the first practical thing you've suggested all day. We've got ourselves a plan, ladies!"


	2. A rubber chicken called Malcolm

Terence didn't stop running until he reached Summer Glade. Here the sun warmed the air and freshly- painted bumblebees and butterflies flapped lazily to and fro. He plopped down to rest and let his wings dry on a sunny overlook right next to a giant oak tree. Most of the summer fairies were away in the mainland making sure everything was ready for fall to come. An eerie silence filled the meadow, but Terence didn't mind. He wanted to be alone right now.

One minute he'd been minding his own business, making his last delivery of the day. The next he was in the middle of a pond with Tinkerbell held close in his arms. Not that he minded so much- actually it was a lot more fun than anything else he could have been doing in his spare time.

Ever since Tink had arrived at Pixie Hollow he'd harbored a soft spot for her. Yup, he had sprinkled the first pixie dust on many a new arrival, but there had never been any new fairies quite like Tinkerbell. She was so beautiful in that soft white dress, her golden hair gleaming in the light of the Dust Tree. Those intense blue eyes that made his heart skip a beat every time he looked straight into them…

_Stop it! _ Terence told his mind to shut up. _She's just your friend, and that's probably the closest you'll ever get!_

The truth was that best friends could never be quite close enough for Terence. But seriously, how could he explain that to Tink? If she didn't feel the same way, he ran the risk of losing everything he'd worked so hard to build up with her. He'd never had a better friend, and how could he put that on the line for some stupid feelings!

But today… today he'd had a little taste of what he'd dreamt of for so long. He was on the verge of kissing her, yet something held him back. It was a line he just couldn't bring himself to cross. Now it was too late, and with his luck there would never be another chance. He mentally cursed himself for not going for it.

Tink was his friend. His best friend. He would have entrusted his life to her in a heartbeat, and he knew she would do the same for him. Would a kiss have gone too far? Betrayed her somehow? The last thing he wanted to do was lose the trust they had established in each other.

This was ridiculous. He could have spent hours just trying to rationalize that afternoon's excitement. Round and round his thoughts could take him but they would never amount to much.

Tired of thinking, Terence climbed to his feet and flapped his wings experimentally. By this time they were dry enough to fly a little ways, and as he took off for the Dust Tree he made a resolution. This sparrow man just had to man up! No pain, no gain, right?

"All right, Miss Bell," he said aloud. "You've got me hooked and ready or not, here I come!"

…

Tinkerbell's walk home wasn't much different.

She still couldn't quite wrap her mind around everything that had happened. Most friendly games of tag did not end up that way at all, but now Tink wished they did. Under normal circumstances she would be mortified to discover that she'd messed up so bad and dragged her best friend down with her. It never got any easier to mess up in front of Terence.

But today it almost didn't matter. He'd held her in a way he never had before. Sure, they'd hugged lots of times, but never like that. And the Look…

_Whoa, slow down, Tink! He's your friend… and you probably just imagined that Look. _He'd probably just been happy to see that she was okay. Now that she thought about it, she became sure that she'd imagined the Look too. Who was she kidding? Terence was only her friend and he'd never think of liking her back. The more she thought, the more she convinced herself that it was all just a figment of her imagination.

As she neared Tinker's nook, the sun grew warmer and the breeze died down. Tink threw off the leaf she clutched around her and spread her wings to dry.

She tried to absorb herself in the scenery and get her mind off the accident.

It was hopeless. Even the beautiful spring flowers blooming by the path couldn't hold her attention.

Something still teased her. If Terence didn't like her back, and he hadn't almost kissed her, why did he run off when they were interrupted? He was obviously pretty embarrassed, but why? The normal Terence wasn't so jumpy, and he knew all of Tink's friends anyway. What made this time any different?

_AAAAARGH!_ Maybe if she found something to fix…

When she neared the cozy little hollow she and all the other tinkers called home, she headed straight for the workshop. It was deserted, except for one little fairy still hard at work… at Tinkerbell's private workbench.

She felt the heat rise in her cheeks and for a moment forgot all about Terence. How could she? Everyone knew not to touch anything that belonged to her! The stupid baboon was probably getting all of her tools disorganized too.

Before she reached where the girl sat, she took a deep breath and counted like Fairy Mary. If she had learned anything from her time at Pixie Hollow, it was the fine art of patience. She approached calmly.

When she got a little closer she recognized the fairy as Ilayda, the newest addition to Tinker's Nook. She felt better knowing that the intrusion was probably only an accident.

"Hey, Ilayda!" Tink grinned and looked over her shoulder. "What are you doing?"

The girl looked up with bright eyes. "Look at this new gadget I'm working on!" She dropped a complex mess of gears and twigs into Tink's arms.

"What does it do?" Tink was skeptical.

"It fixes pots! I figured, if we make stuff to make all the other fairies' jobs easier, there's no reason we shouldn't have something to help us mend all those pots!" Ilayda explained. "It almost works too. I'm so close!"

Looking the thing over, Tink realized with a feeling of dread that the thing might actually work with just a few little adjustments. The newbie was super talented, no doubt about that. She was jealous. How dare she be so good?

Plopping the thing back down on the table, she grunted an affirmation and turned away in disgust. "Oh, and don't forget to lock up when you're done!" she called on her way out.

Tink flew off toward her home as fast as her damp wings would take her. Ilayda had only been there two days and already she thought she could just go anywhere and invent anything! She remembered with a pang the creations she'd made in her first few days at the Hollow. Between those monstrosities and almost ruining spring, she probably seemed pretty useless.

She arrived at home and changed out of her soggy clothes, letting her hair down and combing out all the sticks and dried mud. Her jealousy gradually faded away as her mind filled with images of a certain blonde dust-keeper and the near-tragedy they had shared. She could still feel the warmth of his arms around her and knew in her heart that it all was real. She was not going to forget that one for a long time. No sir!

…**.**

Now that we have all that over with, it's time we got something straight. If you want to read a cute little story about how these two fall in love whilst romping and frolicking in a field of daisies, stop reading now.

There are plenty of other happy stories about Tinkerbell and Terence out there for your cheerful enjoyment. This is not one of those stories.

Not to say that there is no happy ending. Don't worry, I could never get away with ending this sadly- it's Tinkerbell, for Pete's sake!

But there comes a time in every author's life when they must throw a monkey wrench in the plans of the cute little characters which they have just created. I might as well face the fact that the time has come, so prepare yourselves to meet the baddest, meanest, toughest, and ugliest pirate to ever sail the seven seas. His name is… Captain Mildew.

They say he was named for the stench always emanating from his unwashed beard, but anyone who has ever met the pirate knows that the real reason is that his head is full of the stuff. Of course, that didn't matter very much, because he was a pirate captain. Piracy is fortunately not very demanding in terms of cranial capacity, otherwise we wouldn't have very many pirates. All you really need to know is how to hurt people, and how to eat like a pig. Captain Mildew naturally excelled at both these things, so of course, that's why he was the captain.

Even though everybody knew Mildew was the head honcho, the crew was really controlled by his first mate, who went by the name Crusty. Get a nice close look at his teeth and you will know why he is called that.

Anyway, Crusty was a little smarter than the average pirate. He served as the captain's brain (_advisor_ … excuse me) most of the time and kept everything in order while the captain did whatever it was that he felt like doing.

The crew wasn't particularly bright either, or else they would notice that Crusty was the real one in charge. At the moment, they were all fiercely loyal to Captain Mildew, and generally thought him to be a great genius. A genius who often picked his nose with a sharp knife, but a genius nevertheless.

As is always the case when it comes to sailing, having a crew whose average IQ score began with a zero often caused problems. For example, someone was always tangled up in the riggings, and whenever a dolphin was spotted in the water nearby, half the crew jumped overboard to try and play with it.

Every other Tuesday night, the helmsman was too drunk to see clearly, and invariably the ship was run aground somewhere. Last night was no exception.

We will now take a closer look at what goes on aboard the noble vessel. Unless you fall under the brave unflinching warrior category, the two evil men we are about to meet personally will make your bunny slippers run for cover.

"There must be some way to get off of this rock," Captain Mildew himself paced back and forth in his cabin with a bottle of rum in one hand and his pet rubber chicken named Malcolm in the other.

Crusty sat with his feet propped up on the captain's desk. He rubbed his temples and sighed impatiently. "Sir, you act as if we have never been aground before. The boys will have us patched up and we'll be off before nightfall."

Mildew stopped and growled at his first mate, "This is why I be the captain and not ye! Malcolm and I be tryin' to fix the problem while ye scurvy chops be weighing down me ship."

"If you recall, captain, I did order the men to begin repairs, while you were busy playing that infernal ping-pong game with your toy chicken," Crusty got to his feet defiantly, smoothed back his jet black hair and hiked up his slightly too tight pirate pants.

"In fact," he challenged. "It seems as if I have been doing most of the work on this barnacle ridden tub anyhow. I should venture to say, sir, that if anyone is weighing us down with his scurvy behind it would be-"

Mildew snapped his fingers. "I got it!" he crowed, slapping Malcolm's rubber head on the edge of his desk for good measure. "We is going to fly out!"

"Were you not listening?"

"No. You be usin' too many big words," the captain spread his wings and pretended to soar about the cabin. "Fly! We is goin' to fly!"

"Fly sir?" Crusty let out a sigh and plopped himself back down in his chair. It was no use. By this time he knew full well not to interfere if the captain had an idea, so he just played along. "Just how do you suppose we'll do that?"

"Don't ye know anything?" Mildew waddled over to an open porthole that overlooked the isle of Neverland only a few meters away. "I hear tell this island be full of fairies, and fairies be good fliers. All we be neenin's a bit of fairy magic."

He turned smugly to Crusty awaiting a response.

_Fairy magic? Really? Well, he was the boss._ "Capital plan, sir! Just how do you suppose we'll get this magic?

The captain froze, as if the thought had never occurred to him before, which it probably hadn't. He took up his pacing again, mercilessly wringing the rubber chicken's neck, repeating, "Darn it! Darn fairies, Darn magic! I don't be knowin' jest how to get ye magic!" The big man was on the brink of tears.

_Oh, good grief!_ Crusty thought to himself. _The poor fellow has gone completely off his rocker. I suppose I should take over for him sooner than later, but now is not the time. I had better comfort the old chap._

"What say we begin by capturing one, sir?" he suggested before Mildew started to perform brain surgery on Malcolm the rubber bird with his rusty dagger, as he usually did when the pressure was just too much. Nope, not crazy at all! "We can make camp on the beach and set traps for them. If we caught one, I'm sure it would be more than happy to teach us how to make the ship fly!"

The captain perked up a little at this, and put his knife away. "Of course! Thank ye, Crusty me lad. We be not restin' 'till we got usselves a purty little fairy! Get the men, for we be goin' ashore at once!"


	3. KABOOM

**So I could either post one really long chapter or two fairly short chapters. I opted for the two short ones.**

**I've only got a little while before I go back to school and homework sets in, not to mention the regional acting competition is coming up…we'll see how much writing gets done!**

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_Almost there… _Tinkerbell strained at the ropes attached to her beautiful creation.

"Come on, Cheese!" she begged the mouse who was supposed to be helping her get this thing up the hill. "Are you pushing or not?"

The little mouse squeaked innocently, reaching for a nut beside the trail.

They painfully crested the last hill and Tink dropped her ropes, wiping sweat from her forhead. At last, they were here!

"Thanks for your help, buddy!" she called after the rodent, who was already scampering away in hot pursuit of a passing butterfly.

So there she was, gazing up at the pixie dust tree towering before her. The warm afternoon sun filtered through its branches and leaves. Fuzzy green moss coated one side. Tink wondered why it always grew like this, and why it didn't just grow all over the tree. Too many mysteries, and never enough time!

From the outside, this great tree looked like nothing more than an old, snarly oak. But deep in its core… that's where the magic happened. Inside, a complex collection system Tink herself had built funneled all the pixie dust into a huge tank, where the individual portions could be measured out more precisely. This was her finest invention. _But not for long._

At the tree's base was a tiny hole in the ground- for the only way in or out of the tree was from underneath. Every morning all the fairies filed through neatly to receive their dust ration for the day. The dust sadly lasted only one day, so everyone was stuck on land without their dust in the morning.

A few of the dust-keeping fairies began to trickle out as their shifts ended. Tink set up her machine just outside the opening, and plopped down on a toadstool to wait for Terence. He supposed to be done by now, but there was never any shortage of work to do, and he was usually late getting out.

This was going to be a good day. Not only did she get to see Terence again, but she could show him her newest invention. She filled her lungs with the fragrant summer air and sighed in contentment. Nothing could conceivably go wrong- she was on top of the world!

After what seemed like an eternity Terence burst out into the sunlight. Tink caught her breath. He looked good today. Maybe he looked the same every day, but she had never really paid much attention until now. This wasn't her best friend anymore. He was a deity.

_Deity or not, he's still Terence! Go get him, poppy-brain!_

"Terence!" she cried, her heart pounding in her ears. "I've got something to show you!"

He looked her way and hesitated a moment before fluttering over. "Hey, Tink! Uh… how's your day going?

Okay, that was weird. Terence never had to ask that question. He always just _knew_. Something had to be bothering him. A thought crossed her mind, and she almost giggled out loud. This was about the other day, wasn't it? Tink definitely didn't want to talk about it. He could worry all he wanted, but she was happy just pretending to forget.

"Great!" she answered. "I've been working of a machine all morning, come see." She pulled him over to the looming shape.

"Um, cool! What does it do?"

"I'm glad you asked. This, my friend, is a pixie dust launcher," she began, dramatically preparing her creation for its first test shot. "It can throw a capsule of dust up to two miles. When it nears its target, the capsule will explode, raining dust on all the fairies below. That way, nobody will even need to come here or have it delivered!" she produced a sack of the golden dust and poured it into one of the capsules.

Terence just stared. That wasn't normal either.

No matter. Tink just shrugged it off. This was her chance to show Ilayda what a truly talented tinker could do. A bucket mender? Please! This was the real deal.

She lit a cotton wick poking out of a large bottle labeled _RUM_.

"This part," she explained to Terence. "Burns some of this weird fluid stuff I found on the beach. The heat eventually burns through the vine, which releases the dust container loaded on the catapult."

She stepped back to admire her handiwork in action.

Terence broke suddenly out of his daze. "Um, Tink? Is that supposed to happen?"

She looked where he was pointing. _Oh, pumpernickel! _

The little flame did its work well. The vine snapped, sending the dust flying out over the meadow, but the wick was consumed faster than she had hoped, and it wasn't long before the flames licked into the bottle itself. This was not good. Not good at all.

"Run!" she screamed, dragging Terence along behind her. The world seemed to move in slow motion while they scurried for cover.

She heard an explosion behind her, as the liquid in the bottle ignited. Terence threw his arms around her in an attempt to shield her with his body. A wave of searing heat engulfed them and they were thrown to the ground.

When the dust settled, Tink experienced an extreme déjà-vu moment. There she was again, squeezed tight in the same arms. For a moment she forgot all the carnage surrounding her. She laid her head on his chest and could hear his heart pounding. She felt so warm and safe there, she decided she needed to cause more life-threatening accidents. Whatever it took to feel this again.

"Well, here we are again," Terence whispered in her ear.

She mumbled in agreement and lifted her head. She breathed in and smelled strange fumes. It all came back.

"No!" she breathed, tearing herself away.

She dashed around, wringing her hands and frantically trying to evaluate the damage. Tears blurred her vision. Her panic ruined all rational thought.

There really was nothing left. A sooty crater marked the spot where her beautiful invention once stood. Some grass still smoldered nearby.

It wasn't until she turned around to check on Terence that she saw the worst part.

"Tink, it's okay," he tried to comfort her. "Nobody's hurt, and your catapult was the only thing damaged!"

It didn't work. Actually, all she could do was stare at him in horror. Mutely she raised her finger to point at the wreckage behind him.

He turned around. "Oh, Tink!" his eyes widened. "This is not good!"

The machine was not the only thing destroyed. Remember how you were told earlier that the only way into the center of the tree was through a single tunnel? All that was left of that tunnel was a pile of dirt and rocks.

Tinkerbell sank to her knees in despair. "The tunnel! The workers! It's all gone," she muttered. "It-it's all my fault! What have I done?"


	4. Take one down, pass it around

**Sorry guys, but my turnover is getting slower and slower… stupid school. I probably can't post anything until finals are over in 2 weeks**** Enjoy!**

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Tinkerbell plopped down in the soft warm sand, her findings spread out before her: a chipped die, two paper clips, and a ballpoint pen with the words _Pearly Whites Dental Service- We Have Smiles! _printed along the side.

Her mind groped for an idea. Any idea. There had to be something she could to with these lost things!

Maybe she could tie the die and paperclips to…no, it would never work! Oh, who was she kidding? She'd caused enough damage already. Maybe it was time to stand back and let someone else mend the tunnel. Someone like Ilayda. Of course, little miss perfect would come running in with the perfect invention. _Hers, _she thought, sinking back in the sand to stare up at the palm trees. _Probably won't explode like mine._

Birds of all shapes and sizes flitted around in the trees watching her. Their calls filled the air, but Tink didn't hear them.

She painfully remembered the look on Queen Clarion's face when she'd declared the tunnel unsafe. She had grown used to Tink's little mishaps, but this was beyond even what she'd done to the spring preparations. Maybe not as bad as the mole incident, but that was beside the point. With no way into the great tree, there would be no fresh pixie dust to be had until the tunnel was fixed.

Tink stood and began to scan the dense tangle of weeds and vines to get her mind on something else. There had to be something useful out here! She'd always been able to find exactly what she needed.

After around half an hour of poking around, she had thorns embedded in her palms, scratches on her face, and a deep cut in the back of one calf. Tears streamed down her face, the salt smarting in all the scratches. Everything about her just throbbed.

She fell to her knees and huddled up under a fallen tree branch to have a good cry. IT was time to admit it: Tinkerbell was all out of ideas.

Fine, Ilayda could save the day if she wanted to! _See if I care!_ Let her be her perfect self if it could save them. Tink sure couldn't.

For the first time in her life, she could find nothing more to do but cry- alone and unloved there on that deserted beach under a decaying piece of wood.

Horrible bitter sobs racked her small body. They echoed through the silent thicket where animals cocked their ears to listen before scurrying off.

Gradually, all the world began to fade away save Tinkerbell and her impossible problems.

When having a good, heartfelt cry, the only thing that feels worse than whatever is the matter, is that inevitable moment when you stop crying. You wish you could keep crying without interruption, but for some reason you just can't. One could sniffle and sigh for hours without producing a single tear.

This is what eventually happened to our friend under the log. She laid there dry-eyed, wallowing in her misery and shame. She could have laid there until nightfall if it hadn't been for the singing.

It started out quietly, gaining strength as more voices joined in.

Tink sat up, hitting her head painfully on the branch. Her woes were all but forgotten in her curiosity, for these were human voices, and humans were few and far between on this side of Neverland.

The more she listened, the less she could justify calling the noise "singing." Even caterwauling was too beautiful a word for the sound. Still, something inexplicably drew her. She had to check it out. What did she have to lose anyway?

Out from her hole she crawled, and plunged forth into the forest toward the sound.

As she neared the beach, she saw a campfire glinting through the plants. Words from the song could now be made out:

_10,000 bottles of rum on the wall_

_10,000 bottles of rum!_

_Take one down, pass it around, _

_9,999 bottles of rum on the wall!_

What a strange song! They were making rum sound like some delicious drink! Who would want to drink that awful stuff? It was flammable! She had learned the hard way how nasty the stuff was.

A few more strides saw her to the edge of the brush. The only thing for her to do was gasp. Her eyes couldn't take it all in at once.

Before her, a group of the strangest humans Tinkerbell had ever seen gathered around a huge bonfire.

They all wore ragged clothes in assorted colors. Most of them had scruffy beards and hair that probably would have dripped grease if its owner was turned upside-down. The gang as a whole smelled worse than Fawn's cooking.

_Take one down, pass it around…_

As the men sang they actually did pass around a little bottle identical to the one Tink had used on her invention that morning. She would have paid to see one of them stand a little too close to the bonfire.

One of them, she noticed, distanced himself from the others. He did not sing. Actually, he didn't do much of anything. He just cradled his head in his hands and stared into the flames.

With a good bath and a little less scowling, he may have been quite handsome. His black hair tumbled down carelessly in front of his face. Well muscled arms twitched every so often, unused to sitting still.

Having had enough of pirates for that day, she turned around to head home. She stopped dead in her tracks.

A pirate bigger and stinkier than the lot of them towered right behind her. He held an empty bottle and a rubber chicken. Tink would have wondered about the chicken, but there were more important concerns right then.

"Avast, wee fairy!" He grinned and scooped her up in his bottle. "My name be Captain Mildew, and this be me matey, Malcolm!"


	5. That's what friends are for!

**Another short stubby little chapter!**

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That night, after darkness had fallen and fairies had halted work for the day, the air was crisp and refreshing. Candlelight still glowed in some of the houses as their fairies settled in for the night. One by one they were snuffed out and the blackness descended on Pixie Hollow.

In the houses near the Dust Tree, everything was still. All the dust-keeping fairies had gone to bed. All of them, that is, save one. Light still shone brightly from the home of Terence, who was not even thinking about going to bed yet. Actually, if we were to peer into his tiny window, things would seem pretty lively in there.

"Listen, hon, we're tryin' to help you!" Rosetta smiled, claiming the couch.

"Thanks guys, but I really don't need your help."

"Oh, come on Terence! If you could take care of things yourself, you wouldn't be single right now," Fawn pointed out.

"If you pass up an amazing opportunity like this, you'll never get anywhere with Tink!" Iridessa said.

Silvermist giggled a little. Was Terence blushing?

He composed himself hastily. "Wait, what opportunity?" he asked, just in case.

"Terence, you're so cute," Fawn smiled sweetly. "The meteor shower is in two days, genius!"

He stared blankly at her.

Silvermist stood up, touched his arm and stared knowingly into his eyes. "Just think, come the meteor shower, you could be lying in the soft grass with Tinkerbell watching the falling stars. Wouldn't that be romantic?"

"Oh," Terence stared into space. "But she thinks of me as just a friend. She'll never go with me on anything that sounds like a date."

"You might be surprised, sugar," Rosetta called from the couch. "A little birdie told me she likes you back."

"She's probably sitting at home all alone, just wishing she had someone to go to the shower with," Iridessa piped up.

Terence was grinning now. "You really think so?"

"I know so," Silvermist assured him quietly.

"Why not go ask her right now?" Fawn suggested.

Terence was halfway out the door by the time Rosetta could stop him.

"You're not planning to ask her out looking like that, are you? At least comb your hair first!"

He ran his fingers hastily through his locks.

"And I don't know about those clothes," Iridessa studied him. "You need something that will really make your eyes pop."

"Go put on something nicer," Fawn ordered.

He obeyed, dashing upstairs.

"Rosetta, this is a great idea," Iridessa said once he was gone.

"Not only will we finally get those two together, but maybe he can get Tink to forgive herself for what happened yesterday!" Silvermist smiled.

Rosetta blushed happily. "Yes, I do know a thing or two about the romantic arts."

"Here he comes!" Fawn warned.

Terence plunked down the stairs. When he reached the bottom, he stood before them a new sparrow man. Everything about him was crisp and clean. His shirt was just the right color brown to make his blue eyes shine. Even though he wore a similar outfit to the one he always wore, these clothes suited him…better…somehow.

Rosetta grinned. "You're a knockout, sugar!"

"Really?" Terence looked down at himself, as if he was surprised.

"Tink's gonna love it!" Iridessa squealed.

He headed for the door brimming with confidence.

"Hold on, hotshot!" Fawn stopped him again. "You can't go without a present."

"What should I bring her?" Terence was smart enough to ask for help on this one.

"Hmmm," Rosetta pondered. "It can't be anything too big or else she'll think you're too desperate."

"But if it's too small," Silvermist added. "It won't mean as much to her."

"Make sure it's unique, but not too unique," Fawn added.

"And don't give her anything edible like chocolate," Iridessa said. "Once she eats it, she'll forget you ever gave it to her!"

"What about flowers?" Silvermist suggested. "Nothing says 'I love you' quite like a bouquet of flowers."

Rosetta scowled and elbowed the water fairy. "Don't be ridiculous, Sil! Flowers wilt. You don't want our Tink left with a handful of wilted flowers, now do you?"

Terence laughed nervously. "So now I know what not to give her." He glanced around him for ideas.

"What about this?" he went over to a side table and pulled open the drawer. The girls crowded around him for a better look at the small object he clutched.

"It's beautiful," Iridessa breathed.

"Lucky girl," Fawn sighed.

"So you think she'll like it?" he still hesitated.

"Are you kiddin'? It's perfect!" Rosetta beamed.

"I've never seen anything like it in my whole life," Silvermist declared in awe.

Terence slipped the thing into his pocket for safekeeping.

"Wish me luck, ladies!" With that he swept out the door, a playful smile teasing his lips.

"Mission accomplished," Fawn slapped a high-five with Rosetta.

Silvermist grinned widely. "That wasn't so hard! All he needed was a bit of encouragement."

"If this doesn't work, I don't know what will." Rosetta plopped back down contentedly on the couch.

"Does this mean we can go home now?" Iridessa yawned. "It's past my bedtime."

"'Dessa! I'm ashamed of you. How could we go to all this work and not stick around to see how it turns out?" Rosetta flipped her hair haughtily. "After all, if things don't work out with Tink, Terence is gonna need a shoulder to cry on."

That was that. The fairies stayed in Terence's living room attempting a conversation. Once chatting about the weather got old, an awkward silence filled the room.

"So, anyone heard some good jokes lately?" Fawn tried to break the silence.

Nobody answered.

They all settled back into their silence.

Before long they could hear running feet on the path outside the house. The door burst open and there stood Terence, panting like a dog.

"That was quick, how'd it go, hon?" Rosetta pressed gently.

"She's-she's gone!" Terence gulped. "Nobody's seen her!"

"I hope she's not in trouble!" Silvermist gasped.

Terence bit his lip and said through clenched teeth, "Nobody's gonna look for her, not after what happened yesterday. She could be hurt somewhere and nobody would help…" He started to panic. "Oh, it's my fault! I could have warned her, I could have…talked to her… protected her!"

Fawn crossed her arms. "So your pretty little girlfriend is in trouble? What are you gonna do about it, huh?" she challenged. "Now is not the time to wimp out, mister spineless sea sponge! You are Terence the dust-keeper! Start acting like him!"

"Rescuing people is soooo romantic," Rosetta sighed.

The flickering candlelight cast harsh shadows across Terence's face. They made him look older, a little more careworn. Gone was the clueless boy who had gone out to win a fairy's heart. He was replaced by a newly minted man, ready to stand and fight for that which he searched for. He knew what he had to do, and nothing else mattered.

"If you don't come back, can I have your stuff?" Fawn asked innocently, before it was too late.


	6. Some reasons not to like pirates

**I wish to express my deepest regret for publishing another stubby chapter.**

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Tinkerbell collapsed exhausted at the bottom of the bottle. It was no use. Even though the pirates were stupid, they sure knew how to keep a fairy stuck inside a rum bottle.

Speaking of the bottle, it reeked worse than the pirates themselves. The musky stench of rum filled her lungs until she got dizzy. A thin sticky coat of the stuff covered the bottom, and was all over her legs and wings by now. Rum had caused quite enough trouble already for poor Tink.

Not that Tink really noticed any of those things. She had bigger things to worry about. For instance, Malcolm and Captain Mildew.

"Gimme ye magic, fairy!" Mildew held the bottle up to his face. The curved glass magnified his eyeball, lending him that extra touch of psychopath every evil villain yearns for.

Tink crossed her arms and hid her face. This had been going on way too long. What did this guy want?

Well, obviously he wanted some magic, but what use could a pirate possibly have for pixie magic?

She grunted and braced herself as our insane pirate friend gave the bottle a shake. Oh, when was this ever going to end?

"Oh, come on! I be needin' ye magic!"

Night had fallen, and all she could see of the other pirates were gaunt faces glowing eerily in the firelight.

Mildew grew tired of this game and stuck the bottle in the sand, sitting down beside her.

"Why won't ye gimme yer magic, wee fairy?" he said quietly, letting out a long sigh. He pulled out his knife and spread the rubber chicken out in front of him. His small black eyes glistened suspiciously, as if the big guy was…crying.

"Oh, captain, I hardly think this is necessary," the surly pirate emerged from the darkness. "What ever is the matter?"

Up close he looked even more repulsive, if that were possible. His penetrating eyes, strong muscles, and icy smirk sent shivers down Tink's spine. Not to mention his teeth. It is best that their description never be written down, for they were so horrible, you may just faint while merely reading about them.

"Crusty, she not be givin' it to me." Mildew grumbled.

The man evidently called Crusty smiled wide. "Well," he said, looking straight at Tink. "Perhaps she simply needs a little encouragement."

She looked up at his face, eyes wide. This guy definitely wasn't kidding around.

The evil man knelt and picked up her bottle, holding it close to his face. She thought she could smell his pirate musk through the glass.

"Now, my dear," he hissed. The sound of his voice made her squirm. "My name is Crusty. Please allow me to apologize for the manners of my dear captain. He is regrettably a little… off his rocker."

_That's an understatement,_ Tink thought, shooting a quick glance at Mildew, who looked like he was trying to perform a lobotomy on his rubber chicken.

"Anyhow, our crew has encountered a little problem. You see, our noble ship has run aground, and even our best efforts have proven quite ineffective."

At this there were a few outbursts of laughter among the crew members. Crusty let out a low, fierce growl and they all fell into a hushed silence.

"Well then," he said, collecting himself. "It all comes down to this. All we ask is your magical aid to free our ship from the rocks."

"We be needin' ye magic!" Mildew cried over his shoulder.

Of all the half-baked, hairbrained schemes… Pirates? Use pixie dust? Why on earth would she help a drunken band of pirates learn to fly? Come to think of it, they probably could never think enough happy thoughts to even lift off the ground. Tink wanted so much to laugh out loud, but she thought that might be a little rude, given the circumstances. Instead she crossed her arms and shook her head stubbornly.

"Oh, come now!" Crusty smiled as winningly as he could, considering his particular collection of teeth- a dentist's worst nightmare. "It can't be that difficult for you to give us just a small amount of magic!" he pleaded. "Don't worry, you can talk to me! After all, I do understand your fairy language." Now he grinned deviously.

This last part piqued Tink's curiosity. Could he really understand her? _Well, only one way to find out!_

"You filthy pirate," she spat experimentally.

"Now, now, looks can be deceiving, my dear. Once you get to know us you'll find we can be quite sanitary."

Tink had to admit, that was impressive, even if he was lying about being clean.

"I'll never give you our pixie dust. You and your stupid boat can just rot, for all I care," she scowled. That was perhaps a mistake that would pretty much ruin her next few days.

Crusty lost his patience. Giving the bottle a firm shake he said, "Now listen here, fairy! Freeing our ship means much more to me than the safety of you and all the other little fairies. This can be easy, or it can destroy everything you know. We will get this pixie dust, with or without your cooperation!"

Tink pressed herself against the opposite side of the bottle. If that man was freaky when he was smiling, he was downright terrifying when he was snarling in our face. Even worse if you were smaller than his face. In spite of herself, she cracked a little.

"I can't! I can't get you your stupid magic because I'm not in charge of the dust!"

Crusty perked up a little at this bit of information. "So if it isn't yours to give away, whose is it?" he pressed.

Almost before she knew what she was doing, Tink found herself spilling out the information he asked for. She never, even in the weeks to follow, figured out exactly why she did this. She watched herself with a sense of dull horror as she told him all about the Dust Tree, and the dust-keeper fairies.

She realized with a shock what she had just done. He knew it all.

Grinning wickedly, Crusty thanked her. "Well, my dear, I now have a proposal for you."

This couldn't be good. Tears came to Tinks eyes for the second time that day.

"I will let you free, under the assumption that you will bring me something in return. I will give you three days starting tomorrow morning to deliver a dust-keeper to me," he declared casually, as if he were merely asking for a cup of lemonade or a bouquet of spring flowers. "If, on the other hand, you should decide not to cooperate, you will awake on the fourth morning to find your precious home in ruins."

Custy's words really didn't register until Tink found herself standing alone at the edge of the woods, free. The sounds of the pirates singing and drinking echoed from behind her on the beach. The evil man's maniacal laughter in the distance chilled her to the bone.


	7. Post traumatic shock

**AN: Hey look, I'm back with another chapter, yaaay!**

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Early the next morning Tinkerbell lay curled up in her bed. Her body seemed so tired she could barely move. The warmth of her blankets called her to sleep, but after the night she'd had, nothing could make her mind rest. But perhaps if she stayed still under the covers the pirates wouldn't be able to find her.

The sun still wasn't up, and Pixie Hollow glowed with that faint light that somehow reaches the earth before sunrise. Tink shuddered at the thought of all those sleeping fairies blissfully unaware of the danger. No fairy deserved to be attacked by pirates, not even Ilayda…

Tink realized she had forgotten all about her problems with the Dust Tree and the newest tinker fairy. It all seemed so strange and distant now. What as a little accident compared to pirates ready to destroy her world? She couldn't afford to mess up this time.

A small noise outside had Tink up on her feet before she could work out a solution to her problems. Could the pirates have followed her back home? Was Crusty going back on his promise? She felt the cold floor get a little colder under her bare feet. Her heart hammered inside her chest while she groped for a weapon of some kind. She seized a small hammer from the nearby workbench and went to peek out her front window, breath shaking.

…..

"Terence!"

"Tink!"

"Terence, honey!"

"Where are you?"

It was almost sunrise and the girls couldn't find a sign of Terence or Tink anywhere.

"I'm so tired," Silvermist yawned.

"We've been flying all night," Iridessa groaned.

"Relax, guys. We're almost back to Spring Meadow," Fawn mumbled. It was all she could do to stay in the air.

"Oh, where could they be?" Rosetta was still wide awake. "This is all my fault! I shouldn't have let Terence go out looking for her at night. He's gotta be around here somewhere!"

"We've already looked everywhere," Iridessa sighed absentmindedly.

Rosetta had another idea, "Yeah…Everywhere but Tinker's Nook!"

"But why would Tink run away to the Nook? She lives there," Fawn wondered.

Silvermist started to perk up. "Maybe they came home while we were out looking?"

"Or maybe she never really ran away!" Rosetta declared. "To Tinker's Nook!"

The fairies arrived to find nothing but empty workshops and unfinished projects. They called their friends' names a few times with no luck.

"Well, ladies, what now?" Rosetta sat down dejectedly on a toadstool. "I was so sure we could find them. I'm sorry girls, but there's nothing we can do."

Iridessa patted her shoulder. "Don't give up. Let's walk up to Tink's house and wait for Terence to come back on his own. Maybe he's found her and is bringing her back home right now!"

"Well, we don't have anything better to do," Silvermist blinked hard to keep her eyes open.

"Yeah, at least we'll get to see a great sunrise," Fawn squinted at the horizon.

…..

Tink breathed a sigh of relief when she saw her friends alight on her front porch. She stood up, set aside the hammer, and scurried about picking up her living room.

Tink awaited the knock at her door with fear. Could she face her friends again? What if they found out about Crusty's deal? What if word got out? What would Queen Clarion do to her? Well, Tinkerbell the tinker fairy was a lot of things, but she wasn't a traitor. But could she be, if it meant saving Pixie Hollow? One dust keeper, in exchange for the lives of hundreds of other fairies…

The knock never came. Tink crept back to the window to peep out.

"Terence has been out there all night," Iridessa was saying. "I hope he's okay."

Tink was so happy to see them again, all lined up on her porch. Not everyone had given up on her! _Not yet, at least. _Tink shivered at the thought. Her secret was already almost too much for her to handle.

She ducked down below the window. She just couldn't do it. Every particle of her body wanted to run out there and embrace them all…but she felt too dangerous.

A familiar pair of boots landed with a thump on the porch. Tink held her breath. This had better not be…

"Hey guys, any luck?" Terence panted outside.

_No! Anybody but him! _Even the sound of his voice set her pulses racing. She didn't have time for a stupid crush. She had to be strong.

"We can't find her anywhere!" Silvermist cried.

"It's almost time to start work," Fawn pointed out.

"Terence, honey," Rosetta sniffled. "Maybe it's time to assume the worst. We've done everything we can."

Tink waited on pins and needles for his answer, but none came. In the silence she thought she could hear quiet sobbing, but she couldn't tell who it was.

In that moment something dawned on her. These poor souls on the porch were her friends. They were there because they cared. They may have been the only ones to care at the time, but they would always be there for her.

Tink slowly rose to her feet. She stood there in full view through the window, waiting for someone to turn around.

Finally Fawn glanced up, and did a double take.

"Tink!" she screamed and threw open the door. Seconds later all four fairies were on top of their friend. In between hugs they peppered her with questions.

"Where were you?"

"What happened?"

"Why do you smell funny?"

"What's the sticky stuff all over your dress?"

She grinned and did her best to answer all the questions without mentioning the pirates. They were so happy- they didn't need to know everything quite yet. She couldn't risk loosing their trust until she had things worked out for herself.

Terence hung back, awkwardly filling up the doorway. Tink caught his eye and beckoned him over. He smirked and shook his head. Rosetta looked up and suddenly remembered her purpose in life.

"Um, it's almost sunrise, sugar. I think it's time we…uh… got to work!" she said, dragging the others towards the door. "You need to rest. Terence, honey, keep an eye on her_._"

On her way out she shot a wink at the dust boy.

"Well, I'm glad you're okay," he began hesitantly.

Tink nodded, not daring to look at him.

_I will give you three days to bring a dust keeper to me._ Crusty's words echoed through the back of her mind.

She tried to fill the silence, staring at her bare toes. "Thanks- thanks for looking for me."

"Don't thank me, I'm your friend. I know you'd do the same for me."

She wondered how he would feel about her handing him over to a bunch of crazy pirates.

Tink started to feel sick, really sick. Terence reached out to touch her arm. She jerked out of reach, trying to excuse herself.

"Sorry, but I… I really just need to go…take a bath and change clothes."

"Yeah…I have somewhere to be too I should go," that was all the incentive Terence needed to get out of there. "Bye."

"Bye."

Tink ran back to the window to watch the sparrow man flutter away. Just as he disappeared around a hedgerow the sun broke the horizon, and light poured out over the valley. Bluebirds took to the skies with happy songs. Mice waddled sleepily out of their burrows while garden fairies started to open up poppy blossoms. It was the start of another perfect day in the Hollow.

Three more days before all of this was gone.


	8. What not to do on your first date

**AN: I'm baaack! Sorry for the wait! Between living a real-life spy movie, discovering the lost city of Atlantis, and saving the world from shape-shifting aliens, I've been pretty busy, but I have taken a break from being so epic to write another chapter! Also, mtihiya, your review made my day and definitely helped me crank this puppy out!**

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Tinkerbell fluttered to a landing on the bank of a small creek deep within Dewdrop Vale. The light there was dim, a welcome respite from the happy sunshine that taunted her so. Tall grass rose up on all sides of her, sealing her in, concealing her.

She plopped down on one of the black pebbles and dipped her toes into the water.

With a little shiver she remembered the Queen's answer to her hypothetical question…

"_For the good of the order. Always for the good of the order."_

_Oh, why didn't I just tell her? _Still, she'd asked the Queen's opinion, and that's what she got. Would telling the truth really have changed the answer! Of course not, but maybe she wouldn't have felt so utterly alone in what she had to figure out before sunset today.

One life versus a hundred- who wouldn't want to save Pixie Hollow? Now that she thought about it, it didn't make sense to risk so much just so save one fairy, but that was exactly what she found herself wishing she could do. Stupid crush. That was the other thing Queen Clarion had said:

"_When others are at stake, you cannot allow your personal interests get in the way."_

Even though she'd said these things in response to questions about her and Lord Milori, it seemed almost as if she knew what was afoot.

Wait, what? Personal interests? Who said there was anything personal going on between her and Terence? He was her best friend and nothing more! An irresistibly good-looking best friend, but just a friend nonetheless.

But even so…those thick, tousled blonde locks of his or those icy blue eyes- the thought of never seeing him again made her cheeks burn and her stomach twist up in knots.

_Oh, who am I kidding?_ Tink jerked her feet out of the water and hugged her knees tight. Her eyes smarted and tears began to flow. Of all the crushes to have, why did it have to be the impossible one? _Actually, crush isn't quite right, _she caught herself. _It's way more than a crush._

In less than twelve hours either he or Pixie Hollow would be gone. Was it really worth the sacrifice?

_If pirates just randomly attacked the hollow, it would be pretty hard to pin the blame on any one fairy,_ she reasoned. _And our borders could fight them off anyway, couldn't they?_

There was an idea! Tink could just do nothing and let the right fairies handle it when and if it became a problem. She dabbed at her eyes with a dry leaf and splashed cool water on her face. A few little pirates weren't gonna keep this girl down!

"Hey Tink!"

She started violently as if caught in the act. "Terence!" she grinned at the sparrow man whom had just materialized right behind her. As she spoke her toes wriggled in the mud and the tips of her fingers toyed with the hem of her dress. "Hey, I was just going to…uh… go practice making more pots. Gotta run, bye!"

Though her speech was rapid her mind moved at a snail's pace. She did her best to excuse herself lickedy-split.

"Tink, wait!" Terence caught her arm and held her back. "I wanted to talk to you," he lowered his voice, gazing into her eyes and pulling her closer with a boldness she'd never seen in him before.

Her heart throbbed as she stared back up at those beautiful eyes of his. The longer she looked the more satisfied she felt with her new plan. Everything would work out, and nothing would happen to Terence.

"Something's not right," he went on. Tink froze. "You haven't been yourself lately. These past few days you wouldn't even talk to me. Are you okay?"

_Darn it._ Tink tried to pull away, but he wouldn't let her leave this time. Nobody could find out about the pirates, or everyone would know it was her fault.

"Really, I'm fine," she lied. "I've just been a little sick, that's all, but I'm feeling much better now!"

Terence loosened his grip and breathed a little deeper. "That's good," he smiled a little. "Hey, do you want to go for a walk on the beach so we can get all caught up?"

The beach. That was where the pirates were. The logical half of her brain knew that, but before that part had a say, she blurted out, "I'd love to!"

…

Half an hour later the two of them were strolling leisurely through the sand. The whole place seemed so relaxed, with a gentle breeze stirring Tink's hair, waves slowly lapping their way up onto the beach, and sea gulls flying lazy circles in the sky.

On a normal afternoon, she and Terence would probably have been splashing water in each others' faces and wearing seaweed on their heads like true playmates, but not this time. Now they just walked along, talking of this and that, neither one fully capable of saying what was really on their mind.

"So can you believe it's almost time for another Changing of the Seasons?" Terence smoothed his hair. "Seems like just yesterday we… uh…" he trailed off. Tink wasn't paying attention.

"Mhmm," she mumbled, gazing up at the sky. It seemed that every time she looked, the sun had sunk lower in the sky, and each time her heart beat a little faster. Time was running out.

_Not that I care,_ she reminded herself. _I'm not doing anything, remember?_

"Hey, Tink, look at all this cool stuff!" Terence grabbed her hand and dragged her up the bank toward the treeline, for here in the sand gleamed lost treasures: a chipped die, two paperclips, and a ballpoint pen with the words, _Pearly Whites Dental Service- We Have Smiles!_ printed along the side. She stared blankly. This was the stuff from when she'd been here earlier.

"I thought you loved lost things," Terence looked up at her, a little frown settling on his brow. "Are you okay?"

She most certainly was not. "Yeah, I'm fine, why?" The pirate camp had been, if she remembered right, just around the next bend. "You know, I think it's getting a little late. We should probably turn around!" She flitted her wings nervously and scanned the treeline. They were around here somewhere.

"Are you sure? I don't have anything I have to do tomorrow morning. We could probably just camp out somewhere…"

"NO!" Tink whirled around, then caught herself. "I mean, I would much rather stay safe and sound back in the Hollow!"

Terence rose from the sand and took a step toward her, peering at her curiously for a long time before he finally spoke. Usually that stare make Tink's heart flutter, but this time it only made her eyes smart with tears. It was his words that gave her a chill.

"What's wrong with you, Tinkerbell? What changed?" His voice trembled a little. "We used to have all sorts of crazy adventures- together, and now you're scared to spend one night away from home? That's not you. I miss my friend."

"Oh, Terence," Tink's heart melted. "I'm so sorry. I'm still me. I haven't changed. She closed the distance between them and laid a hand on his arm. He delicately removed it.

"Yes you have. There's something wrong," his eyes swelled with concern. "You know you can tell me anything."

She sat down in the soft silky sand facing the ocean and looked away to hide her tears. She wanted to tell him everything. It had been so lonely these past few days, alone with her guilt. It would never go away. No matter how many new plans she dreamt up, it would always be her fault. Not like he could do anything about it, but maybe it could feel good to say it out loud.

Tink felt the warmth of a body seated next to her, and an arm wrapped around her shoulders, holding her tight. Snuggling in closer, she squeezed her eyes shut against tears and began to tremble slightly. It was almost too much to bear, knowing that this would probably be the last time she could be this close to Terence without feeling like a monster. She'd better make this time worth it.

"Just talk to me, please Tink!" he whispered in her ear.

That did it. The sound of his voice so close to her, the feeling of her body pressed close to his… Tink began to sob. She threw her arms around him and buried her face in his chest. In that moment, she was so glad to have him there with her, and even more glad that she'd found a way not to give him to the pirates. This sparrow man was all hers!

The tears stopped flowing as she began to feel more at peace with herself. She'd made the right decision.

Terence stroked her hair gently and pulled away just enough to see her face.

"You're not alone," he breathed. Tink let out a little sigh of contentment when she noticed the Look had returned from that afternoon by the pond. It was back, and this time she was ready for it.

That little moment of bliss would be the last for a long while.

Something stirred along the treeline. A familiar scent floated by on the breeze, and Tink stiffened when she recognized it: rum.

Terence didn't seem to notice, seemingly in a sort of trance. He just kept drawing closer and closer.

Over his shoulder she spotted a slender figure lounging in the shadow of a palm tree, his arms crossed, watching. The two made eye contact and he grinned. Even from that distance Tink could definitely tell that those were Crusty's teeth.

Another figure crashed through the brush. At a whispered word from Crusty he stopped in his tracks and waved Malcolm the chicken over his head in a triumphant arc. Other rough-hewn men emerged from the forest armed to the teeth with clubs and sticks.

Terence's face was just inches away from her own now, but she gulped down those butterflies and kept her eyes trained on Crusty's smirking face. All those big evil men with all those weapons… her heart all but stopped cold when she realized what she had done. She'd been foolish to ever think that Pixie Hollow could fend off pirates.

Now her mind began to race. She felt the warm light of the sunset touch her face. The figures were poised to strike from the woods. It was time. A single word from Crusty and it was all over.

All at once Terence's arms tightened around her waist and he set his lips against hers. Tink gave a little whimper, which he took as an invitation to deepen the kiss. She wanted so much to close her eyes and hold him close forever, to bask in the joy she should have been finding. The words of Queen Clarion echoed once more in her head.

"_For the good of the order…"_

A sinister cackle erupted from the brush line. Her blood ran cold and she wished she could hide behind Terence's well-muscled body, but so far he hadn't noticed the pirates. She cracked her eyes open to meet Crusty's gaze.

"I don't…"

He began to mouth that fateful phrase.

"…believe in…"

Pausing, he waited for her response. Even though Terence still held he kiss, it was now or never. That bad man had only to utter one last word and the first fairy of many would die. She knew what she had to do. She gulped, starting to tremble a little.

This Terence noticed and he pulled away to look her in the eye. "What's wrong?" he asked again, tracing his hand down her cheek.

Her eyes welling up with tears, she placed her hand on top of his. "I love you," she managed to choke out.

Her other hand cast about in the sand for a solid object, anything hard. Her little pile of lost things was still within reach, and she gripped the pen.

Throwing her arms around his neck, she whispered in his ear, "I am so, so sorry!"

With that, she brought her pen down hard on the side of his head. His body went limp, and she clung to him weeping.

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**AN: REVIEWS! I love them! The more you write more time I will take out of my busy super villain schedule for you!**


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